I'm back guys
by bonbondagreat
Summary: When lily ran away from her family 10 years ago she was completely lost. But since she was 17 Lily has developed a family away from her real ones. When someone close to her dies she realizes its time to go back to her real home. But she's bringing her fiancé home with her for christmas! PLEASE READ AND COMMENT. i don't mind the truth about the story.


Chapter 1- _August _

I stared out the floor to ceiling window in his penthouse office overlooking the ever-moving New York City and molded myself into his chair. Today just seemed to go by so fast, but at the same time it had dragged on relentlessly.

My old boss and father figure had died last week after he had a stroke, and he'd left the entire company to me in his will. When his lawyer notified me that I needed to attend the reading of the will I thought that it would be about his car that we had often gone joy riding in on the racetracks. He had indeed left me the Aston Martin CC100 Speedster Concept, but then he left me something even more shocking. 

The man who was practically my father had left me his multibillion-dollar company and had given me his position of CEO. That wasn't the only shocker though. Charles had left me all of his investments. Less than 24 hours ago I was barely a millionaire, and now I was a multibillionaire.

The hardest part of today was seeing the glaring looks of his family after the will had been read. They had threatened to sue me for the rights to the company their father had built up from the ground, but his lawyer had told them that they had no grounds because it was completely legal. For hours I was yelled at and accused of deliberately getting close to their father and making him put me on his will.

I sat in his office numbly and thought about what had happened. I always new Charles didn't like his family that much. It was part of the reason we bonded like father and daughter.

I had known Charles since I was 16 and he was 70. We had met at a business conference in Boston when I was 16. At the time I was working on my masters degree in business and he had mistaken me for the daughter of one of the speakers. This led to a comical conversation as he apologized for his mistake about my identity, and then went on for several hours as we discussed business and our lives. When the conference ended he had shook my hand and smiled saying that we'd meet again soon. Less than I year later I was graduating from the Stanford masters program when I met him again. After the ceremony I was weaving through the crowd looking for my best friend Emma when I saw him waving at me. When I went over he congratulated me on my graduation, and then offered me a job in his company. Then for some reason that I will never understand I said yes, even though I had already accepted a job somewhere else. At his company I accelerated through the ranks until I was right below him after only 5 years. After that he had slowly delegated all the business issues to me, and eventually I was practically running the company.

The ten years that I had worked for him were the best years that I had ever experienced. Charles had transformed easily from my boss to my father as he taught me how to drive, celebrated the holidays with me, had my first drink with me, and showed me the world. He'd let me cry on his shoulder after I found out the guy I was in love with was using me. He taught me the ways of the world, and had shown me the wonders that the world was consisted of. He taught me how to stand up for myself. He was there when I met my fiancé Ethan, and had threatened him to take good care of me when Ethan asked him for my hand. He had always been with me on the anniversary of my father's death. He'd been my family for a decade. Over the years we had slowly opened up to each other about our lives. He had lost his wife a few years ago and was surrounded by greedy family members who seemed to be waiting for the day that he died so they could get his money. I had been the kid genius who had lost her father when she was 9 in a freak car accident, and had let herself be consumed into her studies to hide from the pain. He listened as I told him about the ridicule I had received from other students as I attended college, and how I used my studies as an excuse to not see my family. In every way except for blood I was his daughter, and now I had lost another father.

I had held his hand and begged him not to leave me as he laid on his deathbed. I was with him as he played with death for an entire week after his stroke. I had cried as he stroked my hair and smiled saying that everything would be fine. I had listened to him as he talked about how he was not afraid to die because it meant he could see his wife again, and had listened when he told me that I should not cry for him but instead be happy. He had told me that his biggest regret was that he wouldn't be able to be at my wedding and see my first child. And in his final moments he had kissed my hand and told me that I was his second love of his life, and that he would always be watching over me. I was there when he had exhaled his last breath and fallen into an eternal slumber. At his funeral I cried for him as his family sat there almost happy looking that he had died. But after the funeral I made my eyes dry up as I remembered that he had made me promise not to mourn him.

But as I was sitting here in his office the tears were threatening to appear again as I remembered the times we had shared together. Slowly I willed myself to stand up and go home to Ethan.

As I walked into our Park Avenue Penthouse he was sitting in his chair in our living room staring at the fireplace. He turned when he heard me come in and looked at me with his piercing eyes. After a moment he beckoned me to come over, and so I kicked of my shoes and let him gather me up in his arms. The last thing I felt before I went to sleep was his lips on my forehead.

Chapter 2- _4 months later _

"Excuse me Miss Hawkins, your car is waiting for you," my assistant Jacob said from the doorway of my office.

"Jacob, how many time have I told you to call me Lily?" I sighed as I looked up from my work, "You've been my assistant for 2 years and we're the same age, so please call me Lily."

Jacob laughed as he came further into my office so it in one of the chairs in front of my desk. For a moment he studied the women in front of him.

Dressed in business attire, Lily looked amazing. Wearing a black knee length pencil skirt that hugged her lean and willowy, but curvy body like a glove and a green button down shirt covered partly by a black blazer, she looked both beautiful and sophisticated. Standing at 6 feet in her 4-inch black stilettos, her legs looked like they went on forever. But the most stunning part of her ensemble was her hair: a vibrant red that went halfway down her back in a mass of gorgeous, sleek curls. Her face was completely sprinkled with freckles that stood out against her slightly pale, but tanned skin. Her captivating eyes were a bluish green, with sprinkles of yellow and gold that looked as if they were shining. She had dark golden brown eyebrows and a bow mouth, which was currently a dark red matching her hair. To say it simply: she was absolutely stunning.

"You know I do that on purpose just to annoy you, right?"

"Well you succeed every time." I said smiling.

"So the CEO is taking a vacation for over a month, and leaving her treasured company in the hands of her devoted followers expecting it to be intact when she comes back." Jacob said as he raised his eyebrows in mock disbelief.

"That's why you are going to be my spy while I'm away. Metaphorically, I'm leaving the company in your hands so please take care of it."

"I will for two reasons. One because I've always wanted to be a spy, and two because I love you girl."

"Love you too. Now I better get out of here before Ethan yells at me for being late for the plane." I said as Jacob and I walked toward the door. At the entrance we hugged.

"Hey," Jacob said as we hugged, "I know your nervous about seeing your family for the first time in almost a decade, but everything will be fine. Mr. Charles would be proud of you for seeing your family again."

"Thanks. I'll see you in 6 weeks alright." I waved as I walked into the elevator. As I made my way down the elevator and through the lobby I was getting goodbyes from the staff. In the lobby by the door was Ben, the man who had been my personal driver for 7 years in the city. He and Charles were best friends had been taking care of me for a long time. As I walked up to him he offered his arm to me, and took my bag before leading me outside toward the car.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Yeah. Truthfully I want to run away and hide, but I know that I've been putting this off for way too long."

"Well, I know that Charles would be proud of you for doing this."

"Yeah, he always wanted me to go home, but I always persisted. But Ethan wants to meet my family because he doesn't want to send out the wedding invitations before he meets them."

"He has a point darling. So will I get to meet them before the wedding?"

"Well, if everything goes as planned you should meet them about a week before the wedding."

"By the way, I wanted to thank you again for picking me to walk you down the isle."

"You don't have to thank me Ben. You've taken care of me for years and helped Charles practically raise me. You've stood with me for 7 years and have been like a father to me. I'm honored to have a man as wonderful as you walk me down the isle."

"Before Charles died he told me that it was my job now to look over you, but I think that you don't need me too. You've grown up so beautifully. Charles would be proud of you."

"Well, now you've made me cry." I said as we both laughed and let the silent tears roll down our face as he drove me to JFK international airport where I was meeting Ethan.

When we arrived Ben showed the guard the pass before driving onto the tarmac toward Ethan's jet. As we rolled up I saw Ethan coming down the stairs and waiting for me at the bottom.

His eyes, which were a dark, stormy blue framed by a chiseled face with full lips and high cheekbones, stared me down. Unable to hold his all-knowing gaze I let my eyes drift down. The midnight blue, two-button Armani suit was tailored to precisely match the contours of his body, only emphasizing his tall, muscular, statuesque build. Cut to precision, showing off his broad shoulders, sculpted body, and trim waist, he looked like a tall, exquisite god. He had a narrow face, with a prominent lower jaw line, chiseled nose, and broad forehead. His perfectly tanned skin only emphasized his eyebrows and lashes, which were the same color as his hair; a brown so dark it almost looked black. He had short, wavy hair, which was tousled, as if he had ran his hand through it several times.

When we stopped I got out and walked towards Ethan as Ben got my bag out and handed to the flight attendant. He moved his hand out in front of him and gestured for me to come to him, never taking his eyes off of mine. I sighed and walked over lazily towards him and took his hand, which fit perfectly into mine. He pulled me closer to him so that our bodies were brought together, and wrapped one arm around my body while the other still held my own hand. He tucked my head under his chin easily, emphasizing his 6'5" height to my 5'6". I let my head rest on his strong chest and breathed in; he smelled dark and manly, but also warm and refreshing. I sighed. God, I love him.

I exhaled as Ethan gathered me up in a hug. After a moment he leaned down and kissed me. I let myself sink into his lips and relax. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds before he let go of me and shook Ben's hand who was currently smiling.

"You two lovebirds have a good time alright?" He turned to Ethan, "Take care of her."

"I will." Ethan said in his deep, suave Irish accent that sounded both sophisticated and dangerous. For a moment I detected what seemed like a silent man language between the to about me before they looked back at me.

I went over and hugged Ben and said my goodbyes before I joined Ethan on the jet. As I sat in my seat next to Ethan as we took off he held my hand reassuring me about what we were going to do. After the seatbelt light turned off and the Captain gave his spiel Ethan unbuckled my seat and pulled me toward the couch. He pulled me into his lap and told me to sleep before he kissed my forehead. Before I knew it I was fast asleep.

Chapter 3 

"So, since we're only an hour away from seeing your family I think you should tell me about them." Ethan said pointedly as he drove the Land Rover we had rented at San Francisco up the windy coast of California. "Lily, I know that you've been putting this off, but I have to know what you've told them about me."

I sighed. Ethan was right. I had to tell him.

"Well, do want the truth?" I asked him.

"Of course."

"Umm, I don't know the best way to tell you this so I'll just say it." I paused and looked at him waiting for his reaction, "They know absolutely nothing about you or our relationship. I just told them I was bringing a man home with me after they got over the initial shock that I was coming home after all this time."

For what seemed like hours, but was actually only seconds, Ethan's face was like stone as he deliberated what I had just said.

"They know nothing about me? Do they even know my name?"

"No." I said as I shrunk back into my seat.

"Lily…" Ethan muttered as he shook his head. He would never yell at me, but I could tell that he wasn't too happy with me at the moment.

"I know. I'm sorry, but I was just so afraid when I was making that call. I tried to end it as soon as possible. I'm sorry." My voice came out quietly as I said this. After a few minutes he finally spoke.

"I know that this was hard for you, but I just wish you told them something, even just my name, about me. I'm not mad Lily. I just don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what am I supposed to say when I meet your family? They know nothing about me and so what are they going to think when they see the ring on your finger? They're probably going to think the worst of me at first."

"I'm sorry Ethan. I never wanted that to happen. When we get there I'll explain our relationship so that they don't make untrue assumptions about you. I love you so I won't let them think bad about you. This is my fault so I'll fix it."

"You don't have to fix it alone Lily."

"Yes, yes I do." I said as I looked out the window to the familiar forest. "We're almost there."

Currently Ethan and I were headed to the family cabin where we would be staying for the next two weeks with the rest of the family. The cabin was located in Mendocino, California and had been a part of the family for over 100 years. It was large enough to hold the entire family, which was about 35 people. It had been a tradition since the family had gotten the cabin for everyone to come up for about 2 weeks during the holidays. It had been 10 years since I had been to the cabin and seen my family. I had always made excuses, but I couldn't do that anymore. Charles always wanted me to see my family again so I wasn't going to wig out.

We turned off the main road and headed up the windy road that led to the cabin. It only took us 5 minutes to reach the cabin. Ethan reached over and held my hand as he parked our car next to the others.

"Everything's going to be fine Lily. They're your family after all."

"Yeah" I said almost reassuring myself of that as I stepped out of the car and onto the gravel driveway.

The cabin, or wood mini mansion, hadn't changed since I saw it last. It was big and grand, but at the same time comfy and welcoming. A dark brown fortress surrounded by a forest and a lake made it was stunning. I took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air that tasted a lot different from the air in the city. I walked back to the trunk of the car to help Ethan with our bags when the front door opened and unveiled my sister.

Like me Elle was willowy, but was a few inches taller than me. Her hair was a straight dark brown like our mother's, and she had no freckles on her face. For some reason I caught myself walking towards her to meet in the middle of the driveway.

"Lily?" Elle said in almost disbelief.

"Yeah, it's me." I said sheepishly. Suddenly I was engulfed in a hug that I quickly let myself sink into and return.

"You idiot!" Elle said as she released me, "What were you thinking being gone for 9 years! That was absolutely selfish of you! Do you know how much we all missed you? Especially mom and I."

"I'm an idiot. I know." I said as I laughed. "I've just been running away for a long time, but I finally decided it had to stop."

"You know what you've missed?" Elle said.

"No. What?"

"My wedding you idiot! It was 6 years ago! Because we didn't have your cell phone or address we couldn't send you an invitation. For all we knew you could have been dead! And you missed seeing your two nephews being born too." Elle said with a frown. Even though she said it with a comical tone I knew she was hurt about it.

"Elle, I know this won't make up for it, but I'm so sorry. I want you to know that it won't ever happen again. I'm sorry." I said. Elle reached over and took my left hand in hers.

"It's alright. Your back now and that's what matters to me and-" suddenly Elle stopped talking and looked down at my left hand. "HOLY CRAP, LILY YOU HAVE A RING ON YOUR FINGER!"

"Umm, yes?"

"Mom said that you said you were bringing someone with you, but not that you're married!"

"Not married," I said quickly, "I'm engaged. I have been for about a year."

Elle looked at me with a shocked face as she was processing this new information. That's when Ethan decided to come out from behind the car.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet lily's family. You must be Elle, her sister. My name is Ethan Kavanagh." Ethan said as her held out his hand. Elle looked at me for a second before shaking his hand.

"Same. I'm afraid that we haven't heard anything about you however." Elle said as she looked at me accusingly.

"Yes," Ethan then joined Elle in glaring at me, "I know."

"I get it ok!" I exclaimed to both of them, "I've done wrong. I know. But I'm trying to fix it!"

They both sighed. "Well, come on you two. It's time for you to see the family. They've been looking forward to seeing you again Lily. The aunts have made a feast for you tonight." Elle started walking toward the door as we followed with our bags. When she reached the door she paused and turned around to us.

"You two better prepare yourself for the questions your going to get about that ring, and about where you've been for a decade."

Chapter 4 

The cabin was almost exactly as I remembered it: tall wood pillars, open spaces, tall ceilings, a grand staircase, and a huge family room with an equally large fireplace. The furniture was new and perfect for the wood lodge; comfy and woodsy, but stylish pieces. There were children's toys scattered around the living room floor, and several empty mugs on the coffee table.

Elle turned to Ethan, "You can put the bags by the staircase." Elle turned back around and grabbed my arm, and tugged me towards the back of the house. I could here the sound of people talking and laughing, and could smell someone baking cookies in the oven.

Elle looked at my terrified expression and sighed, "Lily, don't worry, ok? These people are your family. There is no reason to be so scared." She then continued to pull me toward the kitchen, which was practically the family room. I took a deep breath before we entered the kitchen.

At first no one noticed us. I looked around and saw all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and my cousin's beaus and their children. Everyone was smiling or laughing about something someone else had just said. There had to be at least 3 conversations going on at once. I heard Elle clear her throat.

"Everyone! Look who finally decided to make an appearance!" Elle said loud enough to be heard throughout the room. Suddenly every head in the room snapped to attention to see what was going on. The room was silent for a moment before it erupted in noise as people started hugging me.

"Where have you been?"

"You look so good!"

"There's a ring on her finger!"

"Where's the man?"

"Why have you been gone?"

"What do you do?"

Suddenly the room quieted down as my mom made her way toward me.

"You've sure been gone a while." She said to me.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I've been running for years from the memories, but I finally decided it had to stop. I've missed you mom."

My mother smiled before engulfing me in her warm hug. "I've missed you too, Lily. I'll always love you no matter how long you've been gone." She pulled away and look at my hand. "So who gave you the rock?"

From the entrance of the kitchen Ethan said, "I did. My name is Ethan Kavanagh. It's a pleasure to finally meet you all."

Suddenly everyone looked at him with shocked eyes. I slowly retreated back to him and held his hand.

"Everyone, this is my fiancé Ethan. I love him very much so I hope that you will too. He's the reason why I came back. I wanted to show you guys the wonderful man I'm going to marry."

My mother was the first to say anything. "It's wonderful to meet you Ethan. I'm Lily's mother. You can call me Christy. So, how long have you know Lily?"

"We met 4 years ago in London, been living together for just under three, and engaged for about a year."

"And who did you ask for her hand?" Mom asked Ethan. I saw he was going to answer, but this wasn't his to answer.

"Mom," I interrupted, "he asked the man who has been my family and father for 10 years. Later I will explain it all." For a moment my mom and I locked eyes, before she cleared her throat to speak again.

"Ok, everyone disperse! You boys left your Uncle waiting in the boat. Go have fun on the lake!" Mother turned to Ethan. "Would you like to go out with the boys? They're going motorcycle riding."

Ethan looked at me to see if this was okay. I could survive for a while by myself with the women. I nodded.

"That would be great. Thank you." Ethan said before he looked at my uncle who was still in the kitchen. "I'll go change."

A few minutes later Ethan came down in his old blue jeans, boots, and a jacket. Before heading out the door he came over and kissed my forehead. In a voice so low that the others couldn't hear it he said, "I love you. I'll be back soon." He then turned and walked out the door. As soon as the door shut I turned around and saw all the women looking at me. This was going to be a two weeks.

I walked over and sat on the counter next to Elle, who was currently chopping vegetables, and took a chopped up piece of a carrot and popped it into my mouth. The tension seemed to suddenly disperse as a few people laughed.

"Another snitcher. Just like her father." Mom said smiling.

"Hey, some habits can't be stopped." I said smiling as I took another carrot from the cutting board. Everyone chuckled.

The conversations slowly went back to normal, and I listened as mom and Elle discussed dessert. I let myself zone out as I listened to the chatter of my family. It seemed like a piece of me had returned, and now I was whole again. It felt good I thought as I smiled to myself. After a half hour the dinner was put into the oven and everything was ready, so the women made their way into the large living room and sat in the couches that surrounded the fireplace. Everyone was still conversing about the kids, dinner, their husbands, and Christmas presents when my mother decided to change the subject.

"So Lily, tell us about where you've been. And how did you meet Ethan?"

The whole room silenced as everyone turned toward me to hear my story. Here we go.

"I've been living in New York since I graduated college, and like he said we met 4 years ago in London, been living together for just under three, and engaged for about a year."

"I meant the details." My mother scoffed.

"Ok, well where should I start?"

"From the beginning." Elle said as she sat in the spot next to mine.

Chapter 5

"Well, when I graduated the Stanford masters program when I was 17 I had a job lined up in Los Angeles with a marketing company. But at the graduation ceremony I was offered a job in New York from a man I had met a year before at a business conference. I accepted and eventually this man would become like a father to me."

"What was his name?" Elle asked.

"Charles Gavin."

"Wait, do you mean _Charles Gavin _the multibillionaire that died a few months ago?" my cousin Carla asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," I smiled, "the very one. Charles was a great man who helped me learn how to love again. How to open myself up and have fun. So, after I accepted the job he had me moved to New York and gave me a company apartment. My starting salary was $120,000 a year. Instead of acting like a boss Charles instead acted like a father. When I turned eighteen he taught me how to drive, when I turned twenty-one he had my first drink with me, when I broke up with my first boyfriend he let me cry on his shoulder, and when Ethan asked for my hand in marriage he told him that if he didn't make me happy he'd kill him. Charles's family wasn't the nicest bunch you'd meet. They were all out for his money and were waiting for the day that he would die so they could get his money. And after his wife died he was left alone. So we both bonded over our mutual loses. He took me around the world and taught me how to live to the fullest. After 5 years working for him it seemed as if I was his actual daughter and he was my actual father. By that time I had quickly climbed the position ladder at the company and by the end of my fifth year I was his right hand man. That's when he started delegating all of his duties to me, and by the end of my sixth year I was secretly running the company. What I didn't know then was that he was training me for the future."

"How'd you meet Ethan?" My mom asked.

"Well," I grinned goofily, "it's actually kind of embarrassing on my part. So it was about for years ago and at the time I was in London for a few weeks doing business with an oil company. I had just suffered through over 7 hours of negotiations and contracts when I got into my cab. In a moment of spontaneity and stupidity I told my cab driver to take me to a good bar where I could sit quietly and get slightly drunk. The nice old man took me to the corner of town and dropped me off at this hole in the wall Irish pub, and told me that this was his favorite place to go after a hard day. I said thank you and went in. The bar was perfect; it was quant and old looking with books lining the wall and a piano in the corner of the room. There was only a few people in the bar so I made my way over to a bar stool and ordered a beer. About an hour later and a few beers later a man sat next to me and ordered a beer. I was slightly drunk as I was playing with the foam on top of my beer and didn't notice that he had asked me a question until he started waving his hand in my face. So I turned and dropped my jaw, literally too, at the man sitting next to me. He so was incredibly handsome that I almost fell off my seat, and when he spoke I almost melted. That's when I opened my drunken mouth and told him that because I'm slightly drunk he handsomeness almost knocked me out of my seat. This made him chuckle and we slowly started talking about our mutually crappy days, and then later our lives. We talked for hours and I eventually fell asleep on his shoulder. Because of the beer I wasn't really waking up or all that coherent so being the gentleman that he is he carried me back to his apartment."

"Did you guys do anything?" Elle asked in awe at my stupidity.

"No, like the perfect gentleman he is he took off my jacket and pants, and laid me down in his bed. That night he slept on the couch. When I woke up it was about eight in the morning and I smelt coffee. At first I was really relaxed until I realized that I didn't remember going back to my hotel, and that this wasn't my room. Initially I was freaking out and thinking the worst had happened, but I eventually remembered what had happened and felt completely stupid. So I put on my pants and ventured out into the kitchen totally embarrassed. He was sitting there drinking some coffee when I walked in. When he saw me he chuckled and I apologized. He was incredibly sweet and made me eat breakfast with him and have some coffee to make sure that I was all right. Again we ended up talking for hours and eventually I forced myself to leave. As I was walking out the door he grabbed my hand and pulled me flush against him. The kiss we shared then was amazing. It was as if we were meant to be together because we molded together perfectly. When the kiss ended we stared at each other for a few seconds processing what we had just felt. That's when he asked me out for dinner. In four years there hasn't been a day where that magic was even dimmed."

"What happened then?" someone asked.

"After that life was wonderful. At first the long distance relationship took a toll on us, but one day he surprised me by showing up in New York. For about a year we dated normally before we moved into our apartment. Then two years later he proposed and I said yes. The rest is history."

"What happened to Charles? What did he think of Ethan?" My mother asked me.

"At first Charles was skeptical like any dad would be of the man his daughter was dating, but eventually they warmed up to each other and became good friends. Life continued normally for a few years and I was incredibly happy. However, one day a few months ago my world started crumbling when Charles had a stroke that caused him to be on his deathbed. After his stroke he only last a week before he passed on. That was probably the hardest week of my life because it reminded me of when we lost father. When Charles died he left me more than the car that we had gone on adventures in, he ended up leaving me not only his entire company, but also all of his investments. In one day I went from a just there millionaire to a multibillionaire in charge of one of the top 5 companies in the world. It was terrifying. His family tried suing me, but he and his lawyer had made the will unchangeable."

"Wait, so you're now a multibillionaire?" Elle asked in awe as she tried to process this information.

"Yes. Charles death is one of the reasons I came back. He always wanted me to go back home but it seemed like I could never do it. But when he died I realized that I had to come back home for both of us. He always wanted a family and so I thought that if I came back to mine then he could have one too."

I looked up at the rest of my family who were either staring in awe at me or slightly crying.

"So now you know what I've been doing for the past decade."


End file.
